Gardener’s almanac (April 13)

Another whiplash week – I guess when all is said and done after this last week that saw us go from the 70s to an ice storm, we at least got some moisture. Keep an eye on the forecast for more possible surprises in the next couple of weeks. At least one night’s low is forecast to hit the freezing mark next week.

Another whiplash week – I guess when all is said and done after this last week that saw us go from the 70s to an ice storm, we at least got some moisture. Keep an eye on the forecast for more possible surprises in the next couple of weeks. At least one night’s low is forecast to hit the freezing mark next week.

Purplish tinge? – If newly transplanted vegetables and flowers have a purplish tinge, they may need a dose of transplant solution, aka root stimulator, to take care of a phosphorus deficiency, Ward Upham of K-State says. “Surprisingly, the soil may have plenty of phosphorus, but plants often have difficulty taking up nutrients in cool soils,” he says. “The starter solution places soluble nutrients near the roots so the plants get off to a good, strong start.”

Garden events

Birding at Botanica – New bird songs are being heard around the gardens, Karla Jahn of Botanica said this week, so there should be new birds to watch when the monthly bird walk is taken around Botanica at 9 a.m. Tuesday. It’s included in Botanica admission.

Recycling talk – Beth McDonald, education director of ProKansas Recycling Center, will be at Botanica on Wednesday to talk about the history of recycling and the items that the center recycles. Her lunchtime lecture, at 12:15, is included in Botanica admission.

Plant exchange at Porter Street Artists & Friends – A group of creative Riversiders who put on a show of their art last fall has grown to more than 20, and this year’s Porter Street Artists & Friends will be April 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will include a plant exchange this year (“thinning out the iris beds, etc.,” organizer Joann Ryan says). The event is in the 900 block of North Porter in Riverside and will feature a variety of art outside and in neighbors’ yards. Other new features: a used art sales room “for whoever has art that doesn’t work for their decor any more,” and a box to accept canned or boxed food donations for Victory in the Valley. One of the neighbors will be selling coffee and pastries in the morning, and a food truck will set up for lunch.